I've already promised I'll go – I can't back out now.
Synonyms
withdraw
Troops withdrew from the country last March.
retire
He was wounded, but did not retire from the field.
give up
pull out
retreat
They were forced to retreat.
drop out
She had so much academic work to do that she dropped out of singing lessons.
renege
He reneged on a promise not to stand for the leadership.
cop out (slang)
chicken out (informal)
detach yourself
See back
Additional synonyms
in the sense of drop out
Definition
to abandon or withdraw (from an institution or group)
She had so much academic work to do that she dropped out of singing lessons.
Synonyms
leave,
stop,
give up,
withdraw,
quit,
pull out,
back out,
renege,
throw in the towel,
cop out (slang),
fall by the wayside
in the sense of renege
Definition
to go back (on an agreement or promise)
He reneged on a promise not to stand for the leadership.
Synonyms
break your word,
go back,
welsh (slang),
default,
back out,
repudiate,
break a promise
in the sense of retire
Definition
to pull back (troops) from battle or (of troops) to fall back
He was wounded, but did not retire from the field.
Synonyms
retreat,
withdraw,
pull out,
give way,
recede,
pull back,
back off,
decamp,
give ground
Nearby words of
back out
back down
back off
back off from something
back out
back out of something
back someone up
back something up
Related terms of
back out
back out of something
Synonyms of 'back out'
back out
Explore 'back out' in the dictionary
back out
phrasal verb
If you back out, you decide not to do something that you previously agreed to do.
She backed out of the project after much wrangling. [VERBPARTICLE + of]
Wells was supposed to put up half the money, but later backed out. [VERBPARTICLE]
See full dictionary entry for back
back out in British English
verb
1. (intr, adverb; often foll byof)
to withdraw (from an agreement, etc)
nounbackout
2. US informal
an instance of withdrawing from an agreement, etc
back out in American English
1.
to withdraw from an enterprise
2.
to refuse to keep a promise
See full dictionary entry for back
Examples of 'back out' in a sentence
back out
He doesn't want her back out of love, or out of his desperation to make a good album.
Val McDermid DEAD BEAT (2002)
He brushed it back out of his eyes, intrigued enough to say: `Yes, once.
Adam, Paul A NASTY DOSE OF DEATH
Her lips twisted in wry acknowledgement, then she found reverse gear and let in the clutch to back out.
Ruell, Patrick THE ONLY GAME
I'd like you to take care of Mr. Bonham and get him back out to the Wasp, next available transportation.
James W. Huston BALANCE OF POWER (1998)
In other languages
back out
British English: back out /bæk aʊt/ VERB
If you back out, you decide not to do something that you previously agreed to do.
They backed out of the project.
American English: back out
Arabic: يَتَراجَعُ عَنْ
Brazilian Portuguese: recuar
Chinese: 收回
Croatian: povući se
Czech: odstoupit
Danish: bakke ud
Dutch: zich terugtrekken
European Spanish: echarse atrás decisión
Finnish: perua
French: se retirer
German: zurücktreten
Greek: αποσύρομαι
Italian: ritirarsi
Japanese: 約束を取り消す
Korean: 취소하다
Norwegian: trekke seg
Polish: wycofać się
European Portuguese: recuar
Romanian: a se retrage
Russian: отказаться
Latin American Spanish: retractarse
Swedish: dra sig ur
Thai: กลับคำ
Turkish: geri çekilmek
Ukrainian: ухилятися
Vietnamese: rút lui
Chinese translation of 'back out'
back out
vi
(= withdraw) 退出 (tuìchū)
to back out of sth[deal, agreement etc]退出某事 (tuìchū mǒushì)
See back
All related terms of 'back out'
to back out of sth
( deal, agreement etc ) 退出某事 tuìchū mǒushì
back up
( support : statement, theory ) 证(證)实(實) zhèngshí ⇒ Her views are backed up by an official report on crime. → 一份官方犯罪报告证实了她的观点。 Yī fèn guānfāng fànzuì bàogào zhèngshíle tā de guāndiǎn.